Medical and Health

The official advice is to take out comprehensive travel and medical insurance before you travel.

The UK has a mutual healthcare agreement with Australia. This means British holidaymakers are entitled to limited subsidised health services as a public patient in a Medicare Australia public hospital free of charge, but not necessarily for existing conditions, medicines or ambulance services. All of which can be pricy.

In the outback and rural areas, treatment is provided by the Flying Doctor service.

Dentists: Routine dental exams and treatment aren’t covered by Medicare. Dentist are thin on the ground in rural/remote areas and very expensive everywhere.

Hospital Treatment and Ambulance Costs

The Australian health care system is world class. Expect to pay around £600 a day for private hospital treatment. Remember you need clearance from your travel insurer for anything over £500 otherwise they might not pay out.

Ambulance: Transport costs including medical evacuations aren’t free and can cost anything from £500 for a 5-minute trip to £100,000 and more for an air ambulance rescue in the outback.

Medicare doesn’t cover the cost of medical evacuation or repatriation to the UK if you’re too sick to continue your holiday. For expensive destinations like Australia, it’s important to have cancellation cover.

Prescriptions

Unless you’re a hospital in-patient, you need to pay for prescription medicines. Some medicines for chronic conditions are subsidised under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) otherwise you need to pay full price.

Prices can vary widely between chemists. Ask for the generic equivalent - just as effective but kinder on your wallet.